Administratum
The largest and most powerful of the Adeptus Terra, the Adeptus Administratum is the core of Imperial Governance and responsible for almost all of the logistics & administration of humanity's galaxy-spanning empire. The Administratum is omnipresent and all-powerful over the Imperium's common citizenry. From the greatest of Hive Worlds to the most insignificant feral backwater, if it is a part of the Imperium then the Administratum has a hand in it. The Administratum is the single largest & most powerful Adeptus in existence and holds the most influential seat on the High Lords of Terra (the Master of the Administratum), and effectively everything in the Imperium that does not come under the Ecclesiarchy, Adeptus Mechanicus, Inquisition, or Adeptus Astartes comes under the galaxy-spanning umbrella of the Administratum. The grinding bureaucracy of mankind is a incomprehensibly vast network of communications, transportation, and archives, all mired by milllennia old guidelines, warp distortions, time dilation, and enemy activites. That the Administratum can hold the Imperium together at all is nothing short of a miracle, but the wheels of the Administratum grind slowly at best and can end up losing entire Sectors through bureaucratic errors & delays at worst. Functions The Administratum performs too many duties across the galaxy to fit within a hundred tomes, however the majority of its functions come under a comprehensive group of Departmentos, Officios, and other subdivisions. As most Imperial Worlds are ruled by their own 'private' governments (which are not part of any official Imperial Adeptus) and associated civilian administration system the Administratum is primarily concerned with interstellar governance and logistics. However some planets are controlled directly by the Administratum, and those that aren't will still often have a large Administratum presence that works both alongside & within the local government to serve as a conduit between Imperial and local command. Furthermore Imperial planets without a functioning government, such as a newly discovered/conquered worlds or a world with a collapsed government, will officially come under the command of the Administratum unless claimed (justifiably) by another interest. In the case of worlds mired in disarray, but with their central government still intact, large scale Administratum assets can be deplyed to assist the planetary government in handling their crisis - whether they want it or not. The Administratum's presence varies from world to world. A 'typical' civilised world may see Administratum personnel in positions of authority throughout the planetary government & other public services. A primitive Feudal World may only have a handful of Administratum observers huiding their development from above. The mightiest Hive Worlds may be almost entirely run by densely structured Administratum divisions, with only the official ruler & figurehead position(s) occupied by appointed/elected private citizens. Worlds that are ruled directly by the Administratum are more straightforward. Often controlled from top to bottom by the iron bureaucracy of the Administratum, these worlds are ruled by a heirarchy appointed by even more senior Administratum officials (such as Sector Masters). Some of theser though may instead be 'caretaker' governments of a sort, merely watching over a planet of various entities (such as feudal kingdoms, modern nations, or even competing corporations) that are themselves unable to form a unified world government. Administratum in Sector Deus Sector Deus' Administratum presence is typical for a developed Sector. The Administratum is virtually omnipresent and nearly omnipotent, and it is the primary agent of insterstellar bureaucracy and governance within the Sector. Sector Deus has - since the Belisarian Reclamation Crusade of M37 - been ruled by Noble Dynasties rather than the Administratum. During the Thirteen Rebellions period of early M41 the Administratum itself was one of the factions vying for control of Sector Deus' empty seat of Sector Lord, but ultimately the Ursus Dynasty had far greater support so an Administratum takeover would be likely to only cause further strife. As the Administratum's ultimate priority is stability & productivity, they are only likely to ever takeover the seat of Sector Lord should there be absolutely no popular alternatives at all (and even then, it may only be temporary). Nevertheless the Master of Deus is considered the second most powerful person in the Sector, and has historically been the Sector Lord's most important advisor. The Subsector Lords of Sector Deus have also historically been Noble civilians - or members of other Imperial institutions - thus relegating the Administratum to the second-most-powerful position in Subsector rule as well. Conversely several worlds in Sector Deus are officially ruled by Administratum Planetary Masters. Most of these, such as Kronos, Artorion's Gate, and Lemuria, are split between various interests that are mostly just overseen by the Planetary Administratum authority. But others like Annulus are directly ruled in their entirety by the Administratum. Of particular note is the Hyperboros Dynasty, a major Noble Dynasty in Sector Deus that has strong ties with the Administratum and many Administratum members in its tree - along with many other Imperial institutions. 'Notable Administratum Personnel in Sector Deus' *'Master of the Deus Administratum Francis Prescoe' - Sector Master of Sector Deus. The Sector Head Officio is located in the Sector Governor's Palace on Tachion Primaris. *'Master of the Adamantis Administratum Stacker Hyperboros ' - Subsector Master of Subsector Adamantis. Stacker is a close friend of the Subsector Lord, Lord General Militant Lucas Xerant, and his Head Officio is located in the Xerant Palace on Adamant Prime. *'Master of the Subsector Deus Departmento Munitorum Karloff Artrage' - Head of the Subsector Departmento Munitorum of the Core Worlds. Artrage is a prominent voice when Deus is called upon to send Imperial Guard forces outside the Sector, and the Sector's Departmento Munitorum and Imperial Guard high command convene to discuss what they can dispatch. Structure The Administratum is divided into an enormous number of Departmentos and Officios that each oversee a particular group of duties. At various stages of scale these subdivisions come under the authority of a single Head Office, usually at Planetary, Subsector, and Sector scales. Most Departmentos operate on a Planetary scale, while others only operate on Subsector or larger scales. It is up to the relevant Head Office to coordinate these elements, such as arranging the movement of planetary assets to another world or coordinating Subsector level activities with neighbouring Subsectors. When coupled with factional politics, unreliable communications, and authorisation tracks that may run halfway across the galaxy, the sheer scale of the Administratum makes delays inevitable. On the whole these are manageable, as the Imperium would fall apart otherwise, but on rare occasions entire isolated worlds may be forgotten or - less dramatically - a man may find himself waiting for a decade to receive a license. The Administratums most widely found and important Departments are: 'Head Officios' The titular authorities over all Administratum activities within their jurisdiction. There are three chief scales of Head Officio - Planetary, Subsector, and Sector - and each is headed by an Administratum Adept bearing the title of Master of their respective jurisdiction. Sometimes the Head Officio of a particular Planet/Subsector/Sector is the ruling body of that particular region. However in most cases the ruling body is a 'private' entity such as an appointed/elected noble or monarch, in which case the Head Officio of the region is technically subordinate to their influence (though in practise will put Imperial needs first should they contradict the ruler's will). Like most things in the Imperium, decisions between an Administratum Head Officio and the region's ruling body are an ongoing back-and-forth of influence & will. As a general rule however, so long as there is no conflict of interest, it is the ruling body that decides what they want to happen while the Administratum Head Officio decides how this can be best achieved (if at all). Beneath a Head Officio Master are a whole staff of lower ranked Administratum functionaries assigned to the Head Officio, who exist solely to assist this Master in carrying out their responsibilities. In practise this results in Administratum Masters empowering their immediate functionaries to relay their orders and commands. Thus can a lowly Head Office Ordinates end up telling a Department Undermaster what to do, as they are relaying the orders of the Head Officio Master. The primary duty of Head Officios is to facilitate communication & cooperation between different departments under their jurisdiction, as well as relay their jurisdiction's activities to the immediately superior Head Officio. However the most significant duty of Head Officios is to use the information provided by various departments beneath them to calculate and authorise the Imperial Tithe placed upon each world. Planetary Head Officios calculate and draft recommended tithes, Subsector Head Officios approve (or modify/reject) these drafts, and Sector Head Officios review approved tithes to ensure every part of their Sector is pulling its weight. 'Departmento Munitorum' The overseers of the Imperial Guard, in charge of setting war materiel & personnel tithes, arranging their transportation where needed, and arranging the recruitment & training of non-tithed personnel. Arguably the most massive and important department, the Munitorum operates on usually no smaller than a Subsector scale as by definition the Imperial Guard and its materiel must move between worlds. Thus do Subsector Munitorum Masters outrank Planetary Masters so they can move materiel between worlds as-needed, while reporting directly to their Subsector Head Officio. The Departmento Munitorum is huge in scale, with its Adepts accompanying all levels of Imperial Guard high command to gauge materiel & personnel requirements and relay this to their own superiors. The Munitorum arranges the delivery of materiel/personnel to the particular planet or warzone where it is needed, but once there it falls to Imperial Guard Supply regiments to distribute it across the warzone itself (as battlezones are no place for unaccompanied Adepts) to exactly who needs it - usually with Munitorum Adepts droning red tape in their ears regarding 'approved end users' and 'listed recipients' who could already be dead. The higher levels of the Munitorum calculate military tithes on the worlds under their authority to meet the needs of their own region. However they may be informed of military needs outside of their Subsector by Sector Head Officio, and thus must increase the tithes on their own worlds and send this additional materiel far away. It is also the Departmento Munitorum that operates and administrates the recruitment centres on most Imperial worlds that accept volunteers who are not part of a tithe, as well as the training camps also found on most worlds that raise these recruits to Imperial Guard standards (since only tithed troops are assumed to be battle-ready at induction). These recruitment posts and training camps heavily utilise seconded Imperial Guard soldiers in their structure, but are ultimately the responsibility of the Munitorum. Typically Imperial Guard officers who attain the rank of Lord General or higher will find the Munitorum in their Subsector (or large parts of it) coming under their command, as such officers typically command authority over multi-planet warzones or entire Subsectors. Thus at the higher levels it is these military officers that make the final decision on where troops & materiel should be dispatched, and their retinue is likely to be filled with Munitorum functionaries who advise them on where these reinforcements can be drawn from. 'Imperial Fleet' Another Departmento that always operates on at least a Subsector scale, its functionaries not subordinate to a single Planetary Head Officio. The Imperial Fleet oversees all warp-capable vessels in the Imperium from tramp traders to Naval warships, and its primary concerns are ship construction tithes, trade charter issuing, and the issuing & management of warp route licences to the colossal Merchant Fleet. The Imperial Fleet's personnel consist primarily of analysts and logisticians who assess the state of interstellar trade in their region and act accordingly. Other members of the Imperial Fleet monitor and liaise with chartist captains at each port to ensure tithed goods are being delivered, while Adepts with voidfaring experience (often former Navy officers) may be assigned to assess potential chartists to see if they have the right loyalties, abilities, and dedication. 'Shipbuilding Tithes' Any Imperial shipyard will have to give over a substantial amount of its output to the Imperial Fleet as their tithe (though the materials needed to produce this output are typically supplied by the Administratum themselves, tithed from Mining Worlds, making the Shipbuilding Tithe one of labour rather than resources). Imperial Fleet officials within the Shipyards negotiate with the owners (be they private Nobles or planetary governments) on an ongoing basis to decide what Class and number of vessels the shipyard will produce to meet their tithe, thus allowing the Imperial Navy (and other Imperial Adeptuses that utilise starships) to commission vessels as per their needs. Meanwhile the larger number of civilian vessels given over as tithe to the Imperial Fleet are leased to new Charter recipients. However existing Chartist Captains (and certain other organisations) can get themselves on the list for a new ship in exchange for a substantial payment to the Imperial Fleet. 'Trade Charters' It is also the concern of the Imperial Fleet to monitor the state of Chartist Captains in the region they oversee, and decide whether to modify, upgrade, revoke, or issue new Charters to ensure there are enough of the right kinds of Chartist to keep their territory's trade running as well as possible. When the Imperial Fleet announces that they are issuing new Charters retiring Navy officers are often given priority, followed by influential Nobility and experienced voidfarers (such as merchant fleet officers), and then finally issued to whoever is willing to take on the duty and has enough ability to do so. Whoever accepts (or earns) a Charter of any kind is often then given command of a merchant vessel (either a freshly tithed hull or a restored derelict) and are indebted to the Imperial Fleet for such a command. Even the smallest transport vessel puts the holdings of minor planetary nobility to shame, but most typical Charters essentially place the Captain in perpetual debt to the Imperial Fleet that requires they devote a large amount of their cargo space to transporting tithed goods. However individuals of greater prominence may be granted more generous charters, either through substantial payment to the Imperial Fleet, long & excellent conduct, and/or important standing. These Free Charters allow a Captain greater freedom over what routes he travels and what cargo he carries, and are typically the first thing a Captain with fleet aspirations must acquire if they wish to become a truly notable Chartist. Also of note are the Escort Charters that grant command of warships (often mothballed Navy hulls) leased from the Imperial Fleet, and these Chartists must instead devote their time to escorting important trade convoys and be willing to put themselves in harm's way to protect their charges. 'Warp Route Management' Another major duty of the Imperial Fleet is to monitor the status of Warp Routes in their region to ensure no route is used too much or too little. Most Charters only permit the Captain and his ship to travel certain routes, that the Imperial Fleet decide on the ensure the best distribution of transport links. However changing a Charter's assigned route - including on request - is possible, though it is a lengthy process as the Imperial Fleet recalculates cargo distributions and warp route stabilities before they are able to change a Chartist's assigned route. In conjunction with this duty the Imperial Fleet also works with the Adeptus Astra Telepathica in maintaining warp beacons, warp jump checkpoints, and astropathic relays. They also work alongside the Navis Nobilite, assigning Navigators to those relatively few merchant ships deemed to require them as well as the Imperial Navy's much more significant need for Navigators. 'Civil Fleet Registration' In addition to their direct oversight of the Merchant Fleet, the Imperial Fleet also maintains a register of the Civil Fleet. The Civil Fleets are the privately purchased, owned, and operated vessels in the Imperium that have no inherent debts or obligations to the Administratum, and the most notable Civil Fleet vessels are the fleets of the Rogue Traders. Minuscule compared to the merchant fleet, the Civil Fleet is largely the realm of powerful Nobles and planetary rulers, but their vessels must still be registered with the Imperial Fleet to ensure that the Imperial Navy and System Defence Fleets can always confirm which vessels are Imperial and which are not. An unregistered vessel (or a registered vessel being commanded by a person other than the one it is registered to) is considered non-Imperial until proven otherwise and the Imperial Navy frequently detains such vessels or even destroys them if they refuse to comply. 'Estate Imperium' The record keepers of the Imperium. The Estate Imperium operates all the way down to the Planetary scale, recording everything from business records to important events, from PDF strength to weather reports. Its personnel are vast and range from common scribes to wizened historians and professors who know entire libraries by heart. Most of these records remain in their respective planetary archive, but records of greater importance will be submitted to higher archives be they Subsector, Sector, or even greater in scale. In these colossal facilities of densely packed databanks, bookshelves, and scroll rooms the recorded history of the Imperium is preserved and protected - typically after appropriate anti-seditious censorship of course. It is one of the duties of the Estate Imperium to curate and study these archives, and provide their knowledge to those who require it (and are authorised). They also study recovered information of all kinds like crumbling ancient texts and writings brought back from ancient lost worlds and - usually with the assistance of more capable guides - seek out this lost history in ancient ruins & forgotten underhives like intrepid explorers (who all too often end up in over their heads). Estate Imperium scholars, Doctors, and historians of various specialities are often found in the courts of powerful individuals, providing their historical knowledge and recording events of importance. This department also operates schools of higher education on many worlds (of attached to local institutions) that teach Imperium-approved history and teach students how to discover & document history themselves. These Collegias of the Estate Imperium are staffed by Estate Imperium scholars, recruiting & training their eventual successors from the local populations. 'Tithes Chamber Notaries' The preeminent bean counters of the Imperium, their official duty is to tally anything and everything of significant to the Imperium. Human populations, manufacturing outputs, resources harvesting, economic performance, wildlife population, surface area measurements, and almost anything else imaginable. Perhaps most importantly, the Tithes Chamber Notaries are responsible for counting the goods sent & received by a planet as part of the Imperial Tithe, thus ensuring that tithe standards are met. This department operates on a planetary level, their figures communicated up through the chain of command. Based in sterile city offices and split into near-infinite subdivisions for each thing tallied, the Tithes Chamber Notaries' constant stream of figures is used by the Planetary Head Officio to help calculate tithing standards, and then the Subsector/Sector Head Officio to determine just how much the planet could give if needed. Therefore this department technically does little actual decision making, as all they officially do is count. However the only thing they have power over - deciding what exactly counts as what for the purposes of counting - has given rise to this department's substantial influence in a few fields. Perhaps most significantly, the Tithes Chamber Notaries has the final say (unless overridden by higher authority or the Inquisition) on human demographics. As they tally every aspect of a human population this department decides which ethnicities & nationalities they fall into, and even decides when a human population has diverged too far from the norm and is tallied as an abhuman (and then debate can rage within 'Tithes Chamber Notaries Sub. Planetary Census (Abhumans)' over how different abhumans are defined). The personnel of the Tithes Chamber Notaries are typically dedicated functionaries content with their banal work. They rely on reported figures and censuses from Imperial citizens, ecology & wildlife estimates from the Officio Geographica, and other reported/censused figures, and lying to the Tithes Chamber Notaries is considered a grave capital offence punishable by the Adeptus Arbites. Those in the human population departments however can be shrewd anthropologists with a detailed knowledge and interest in human society and its divisions. Finally when it becomes very hard to distinguish biological populations, the Tithes Chamber Notaries will often request that Adeptus Mechancius Magos Biologises conduct genetic tests and analyses, and take their reports into account. 'Departmento Fabricatum' This highly ubiquitous department is devoted to the construction and maintenance of Administratum buildings. On most established worlds this is limited to the mere maintenance of Administratum and other official Imperial buildings, though is often referred-to by the local construction interests when any construction relevant to Imperial interests is undertaken. Much more significant however is the Fabricatum's duties when ruined or chaotic worlds need reconstruction. Typically the Fabricatum will only intervene in the local civilian reconstruction efforts should it be considered important to the Imperium. For example the restoration of a ruined Agri world that other planets rely upon, or the rebuilding of statues and cathedrals vital to Imperial identity. The Fabricatum also plays a significant role on newly conquered or reconquered worlds. In the wake of the Imperial Guard the Fabricatum will work with (and often in command of) any local population in building infrastructure and Imperial offices & headquarters in a manner suiting the Administratum. For obvious reasons the Fabricatum works closely with AdMech construction experts and the Departmento's Adepts are architects, designers, masons, and city planners. Meanwhile most of the dirty work is performed by locally-recruited Menials, indentured Subordinates, AdMech servitors, and/or co-opted Imperial Guard Labour regiments. 'Officio Geographica' This Officio operates on a planetary level and their duty is to explore, categorise, and assess the natural environment for records & tithing purposes. An office of this Officio will be present on nearly all Imperial Worlds to constantly monitor the planet's natural state from ecology to wildlife, and the information they gather will be tallied by the Tithes Chamber Notaries and sent to the Planetary Head Officio to determine almost everything from natural resource tithes to Xenos threat classifications. Adepts of the Officio Geographica vary from dusty scholars tallying ore concentrations to adventurous field officers that explore & classify new environments. The Officio itself is known to work closely with Adeptus Mechanicus Adepts, as they have the tools & knowledge to analyse the environment scientifically to inform the Geographica Adept. The Officio Geographica also keenly follows major Imperial Guard campaigns and major colonisation ventures, as they can produce a wealth of new worlds & environments that will need to be tithed. 'Officio Lex' The legal department of the Administratum that works within and in assistance of the Adeptus Arbites. They provide record keeping, maintenance, legal scholar duties, and everything else that highly trained & combat-capable Arbitrators would be wasted on. The Menials of the Officio Lex are effectively caretakers for Arbitrator facilities. They file the paperwork of the precinct, take records of arrestees, feed the prisoners, and mop the blood off the interrogation room floor. The bulk of the crews of Adeptus Arbites starships are also officially Menials of the Officio Lex, and Penal Worlds are naturally home to a massive number of Officio Lex Menials. While such inglorious duties could be performed by local commoners, the Adeptus Arbites would never permit such untrustworthy civilians into their strongholds. Meanwhile the Adepts of the Officio Lex are students & practitioners of Imperial Law. They typically serve as assistants & students of Magistrates and High Judges, and are on the non-Arbitrator path to entering the Judicial branch of the Adeptus Arbites. Experienced Officio Lex Adepts may serve as defence & prosecution representatives in Imperial Court, while junior Adepts are more akin to legal aides and secretaries who do the bidding of their immediate superior as they learn the Lex Imperialis. This can result in the Administratum profiting greatly from legal disputes between other Imperial institutions, as both sides pay premiums for their best Officio Lex representatives. 'Officio Medicae' The medical branch of the Administratum, devoted to combating epidemics, diseases, and alien or warpborne afflictions that can pose a real risk to a planet's value to the Imperium (and in some cases a real risk to its existence at all). This Officio works on a Planetary level and they are also responsible for monitoring the overall health status of the world, to help inform the Head Officio over how hard the people can be pushed to meet tithes without adverse consequences. Adepts of the Officio Medicae are typically found working in the standard civilian medical facilities of the world they are posted on, treating illnesses and ailments while compiling reports on the population's health and keeping a weather eye out for any potential epidemics or alien/warpborne injuries & diseases. However in times of crises, epidemics, and/or collapsing public health on that world or any world nearby, the Officio Medicae mobilises to keep the Imperium on life support. Disaster relief & epidemic quarantine are common duties of the Officio Medicae, and they often with closely with Imperial Guard Medicae units, Sisters Hospitaller, and Magos Biologises of the AdMech. 'Officio Agricultae' This Officio monitors food production and consumption on almost every planet, so that the relevant Head Officio can decide on the appropriate distribution of foods from Agri Worlds and other Agri exporters. Agricultae offices are located on almost every Imperial World but are most numerously found on Agri Worlds themselves (to estimate exports) and on Hive Worlds (as these planets have the most colossal agri import needs by far). Planets can die in a matter of months through Agri shortages - a blink in the timeframe of the Administratum. Therefore this entire Officio is devoted to gauging exactly how much food each planet is going to consume and produce years in advance. Nevertheless and despite their best efforts, Officio Agricultae estimates can often be slightly incorrect or - usually as a result of unforeseen enemy activities or natural disasters - completely wrong. Officio Agricultae personnel are skilled analysts, meteorologists, and in many cases farmers themselves. They tend to have exceptional knowledge of both weather & farming conditions as well as the analytical abilities to predict the consumption habits of constantly fluctuating human populations. 'Logis Strategos' One of many intelligence agencies in the Imperium, the Logis Strategos is mostly devoted to intelligence gathering and threat alaysis, providing information to be used by more militarised institutions or simply for general records. This department operates in cells that cooperate via Head Officios that mostly serve to facilitate communications, relay orders, and receive reports. The Logis Strategos tracks Xenos movements & activities, monitors suspected citizens for seditious activities, analyses the military strategies of the Imperium's enemies (and potential enemies), monitors the stability of planetary governments, and discretely investigates those suspected of crimes against the Imperium. Its personnel are a mixture of analysts, field agents, and coordinators, and are often considered amongst the most personally capable Adepts of in the Administratum. The Logis Strategos works closely with the Adeptus Arbites, in many ways performing the most subtle & clandestine elements of Imperial Law enforcement. They also liaise heavily with the Inquisition, and it is often a Logis Strategos investigation that raises suspicions that escalate to an Inquisitorial intervention. Finally, the threat analysis and enemy information reports compiled by the Logis Strategos' analysts are utilised by almost every other Imperial institution for research purposes. 'Officio Tempestus' The Administratum overseers of the Officio Prefectus (the Commissariat) and the Ordo Tempestus. This Officio runs the storm trooper academies and selects Schola graduates for Tempestus induction, and receives orders from the Departmento Munitorum on the deployment & assignment of their forces. The Commissariat & Ordo Tempestus themselves make up the majority of Officio Tempestus personnel- though they are more commonly associated with the Imperial Guard. The bulk of the rest of the Officio are physical trainers, drill instructions, and other military teachers (most of whom are Commissars & Storm Troopers that have retired from frontline duty). Alongside these individuals are the common logistical staff of the academies such as clerks, cooks, medical staff, and paper pushers. The Officio Tempestus is by far the most militarised wing of the Administratum, and operates in a very self-contained manner. Each Tempestus Academy runs itself on the levied tithes of the region and recruits from the surrounding Schola Progenia, and typically only recognises high authorities like Lord Generals and Munitorum Masters. 'Officio Assassinorum' This shadowy organisation comes under the colossal Administratum umbrella, but is so powerful, influential, and dangerous that it has its own seat on the High Lords of Terra and is a law unto itself. The Assassinorum is primarily based in large, isolated fortresses, the largest of which is on Terra. But they are known to have hidden safe houses and outposts across the galaxy. 'Officio Sabatorum' Another sinister Officio devoted to the destruction & sabotage of buildings and other constructions within Imperial territory. Where the Officio Assassinorum trains operatives to kill living targets, the Sabatorum's agents are deployed to less direct purposes. An upstart's rallying hall falling on their head is an 'accident' that can prevent a rebellion before it begins. And a new mine that threatens to extinguish important resources is a ripe target for an unexpected gas explosion. Thus the Sabatorum protects the Administratum's interests with lethal, dramatic, and deniable force, preventing any protest against their ruthless will. The Officio's personnel are naturally divided into field agents and logistics agents. The logistics agents are expert observers & investigators that identify when, where, and why the Officio should strike, before justifying their reasoning to a Head Officio that can authorise such an act. Field agents meanwhile are experts in infiltration & demolitions, and are also highly trained killers to ensure no guard or witness hampers their efforts. Personnel The colossal numbers of the Administratum are drawn from almost every subset of Imperial society. Any Imperial citizen that has the skills to be useful to the Administratum can be recruited by the institution, from the lowliest dregs to the highest Noble. In some cases enire groups of civilians can be drafted into the Administratum to serve its needs, while in other cases only the most highly trained and skilled individuals will be accepted. Ultimately the recruiting standards of any Officio or Departmento tend to fall to its local Undermaster or its Planetary Master, resulting in a near-infinite number of possible ways to enter the Administratum across the galaxy. However there are a few commonly found avenues into service in the Administratum, depending on the level of entry. 'Adepts & Menials' The majority of the critical structure of the Administratum is made up of educated scholars & workers known as Adepts. The ranks of Ordinates and above are considered full Adepts of the Administratum, and are typically recruited from graduates of further education such as local Collegia graduates and graduates of the Schola Progenium. These individuals have the intelligence to serve the Administratum and in many cases will have personal specialisations that suit them for service in one of the Administratum's departments. On many worlds the best education is reserved for the ranks of the Nobility so - dependant on the world - many of a planet's Administratum officials may hail from the world's wealthy people. The Admininstratum is of course not immune to nepotism as well, and department heads showing recruitment preference to their own families is far from uncommon. Adepts receive a number of benefits from the Administratum for their lifelong service. A respectable wage is of course typical, in whichever currency is used locally. But Adepts usually also receive entitlements to housing and other essentials for them and their family, all funded through the Imperial Tithe. The lower rung of the Administratum is made up of unskilled & skilled labourers known as Menials, consisting of every rank beneath Ordinates. Menials do the grunt work of the Administratum such as low level maintenance, couriering, basic scribes, office assistants, and other duties that are typically bereft of direct responsibility. Menials are widely recruited, typically from the lower stratas of society, but are vetted by an Adept to ensure they have the proper faith and loyalty expected of any member of the Adeptus Terra. The departments' requirement for its Menials heavily influences where they recruit from. For example the Departmento Fabricatum recruits Menials from construction workers, the Officio Geographica recruits environment guides as Menials, and the Logis Strategos may recruit double agents & informants as its Menials. After enough long service and learning on the job it may be possible for a Menial to ascend to the ranks of the Adepts. But they will need to rigorously prove that they have developed the knowledge and intelligence to be worthy of the position. 'Heirarchy' The Administratum heirarchy is densely layered with multiple departmentos and officios having their own chains of authority in a given region of space. Chain of command within officios & departmentos on a single planet is often well defined and organised, but interplanetary instructions and requests can be mired in contentions of authority and require slow moving Head Officios to resolve such conflicts. The heirarchy of the Administratum up to Sector scale is broken down as follows: *'Sector Master' - The central figure of a Sector Head Officio and the supreme Administratum authority within a given Sector, the location of a Sector Head Officio is the defining trait of a Capitolis Sectorum. In many cases this individual''' is''' the Sector Lord, though in almost all other cases they are always the second most powerful figure in the region. The Sector Master and their Head Officio are responsible for facilitating & resolving communications & disputes between Subsector Head Officios, and the Sector Master themself has the lofty responsibility of reviewing all approved tithing standards set for any world within their Sector. The Sector Master is also the one who decides when, and how much, tithed goods must be taken from one Subsector and given to another, before disseminating this command to the relevant Subsector Masters. Sector Head Officios also perform the duties of a Subsector Head Officio for the Sector's core Subsector. They must ensure that the Sector Government knows the will of the Administratum and ensure that all Sector level organisations are operating within Imperial guidelines. A Sector Master is also one of the few entities that have the power to grant a Warrant of Trade, a privilege typically only shared within the Sector by the Sector Lord. *'Subsector Master' - The head of the Administratum in a given Subsector's (or occasionally multiple smaller Subsectors) Head Officio, the location of which is the defining trait of a Subsector Capital. Typically this position is not found within a Sector's core Subsector, the duties here instead performed directly by the Sector Head Officio. The Subsector Master acts as the chief point-of-contact for communications with other Subsectors, between worlds in their own Subsector, and the Sector Head Officio. It is the Subsector Master's duty to approve (or amend) planetary tithing standards and to resolve & take charge of Administratum activities that involve multiple planets (or assets from multiple planets). The Subsector Head Officio liaises with the Subsector Imperial Fleet (and their Chartist assets) to arrange the distribution of all non-military tithed goods, and to confirm that all planets are sending & receiving the tithed goods they should. A miscalculation on their part can - and has - resulted in the punishment of entire worlds for failing to meet a tithe that was never true. Much like Sector Masters, Subsector Masters may be direct Subsector Lords or serve as their most important second. *'Subsector Departmento Munitorum / Imperial Fleet Master' - These two Departmento Masters operate on a Subsector level as they oversee departments with responsibilities that move freely across the stars and must oversee military-issue tithes between planets. The Subsector Imperial Fleet Master oversees shipbuilding tithes, Merchant fleet management, and warp route management within their own Subsector, and their office is responsible for issuing & modifying Trade Charters and Warp Route licenses on a heavily assessed basis. The Subsector Departmento Munitorum Master is in charge of all tithes to the Imperial Guard in their Subsector - both personnel & materiel. They determine the appropriate distribution of Imperial Guard assets between planets (in conjunction with the Subsector Lord) and arrange the export of miliatry goods & regiments to outside of their Subsector on the request of the Sector Master or any other more senior authority. *'Planetary Master' - The chief Administratum official of a given planet and its system. In some cases the Planetary Master is the Planetary Governor, and in all other cases will still have significant influence on the planetary government. A Planetary Master's Head Officio is the main point-of-contact between their world and the higher levels of Administratum bureaucracy, and many Administratum activies on the world will require final approval from the Head Officio. It is a planet's Head Officio that will - using information from various departments - determine a 'reasonable' tithe standard that is submitted to the Subsector Head Officio for approval. These tithe drafts are then compared with the Imperium's needs, also calculated from information gathered by departments on the ground, and approved, expanded, or rejected entirely. Once approved, these tithe standards become Imperial Law and the punishment for failing to meet them are great indeed. *'Undermaster' - The head of a single department on a given planet. Each Undermaster will be a veteran of their department's functions and has absolute power over their department's activities on their planet. An Undermaster's relatve power varies dramatically by planet. For example a mining world's Officio Geographica Undermaster would have a lot of influence, while the planet's Officio Agricultae Undermaster would be far less important. Meanwhile on an Agri World the situation would be reversed. A planet's many Undermasters report directly to their Planetary Master and have no authority over each other or any Adept of a department that is not their own. This means that - for example - an Officio Medicae Undermaster has no official authority over even an Ordinates of the Officio Lex, and should such conflicts of authority arise it requires the Planetary Head Officio to resolve the dispute. *'Prefectus Primus' - The most senior members of a given department, typically numbering only a handful in a given planetary department or Head Officio. Typically each Prefectus Primus will oversee one major duty of the department and are usually very experienced functionaries who know all the ins-and-outs of this duty, and they issue most of the instructions and signing-offs relating to the daily, regular activities of their assigned unit. In the Imperial Fleet & Departmento Munitorum they work directly beneath the Subsector Munitorum/Fleet Master. *'Prefectus' - Experienced Adepts that have proven their knowledge & abilities within their department to a high degree. Prefectuses are entrusted with greater responsibilites and authority over multiple Ordinates, and are considered the lowest level of Adept that can always be relied upon to fulfil their duties without requiring a constant line of communication to their superiors. Therefore it is often Prefectuses that are Administratum representatives on detached duties, such as accompanying distant expeditions or liaising with other Imperial institutions. *'Ordinates' - The most junior rank of Adept within a given department. Ordinates are the standard agents of the Administratum who are assigned & dispatched to innumerable duties across their planet. Duties such as counting the lasgun output of a factory, recording the events of a given day, and overseeing a team of Menials are all examples of an Ordinates' job. Beyond number, the Administratum Ordinates is the most common representative of Imperial authority in the galaxy. *'Menial' - The most basic functionaries of the Administratum, recruited from the common Imperial citizenry into positions typically seen more as typical employment rather than a lifelong Adeptus pursuit. Menials usually perform unskilled duties that require little education, though may also be skilled workers of a non-scholarly pursuit (such as stonemasons employed by the Departmento Fabricatum). Menial wages are typically better than can be found in the planet's own economy but any applicant is heavily vetted to ensure trusworthiness. Certain Menials may be empowered with authority over others with titles such as Foreman or Team Leader, though this is decided by their commanding Ordinates. *'Subordinate' - The title given to indentured slave workers of the Administratum. While they perform similar duties to Menials, they are not in a form of employment and are not employed on an as-needed basis from local populations, instead perpetually indentured to the Administratum. Mostly found on harsher planets like Hive Worlds, Subordinates are hereditary slaves and their title & duties are passed onto their children in turn. Despite being indentured workers, the position of Subordinate is desired by many on harsh worlds as - while they do not have wages or complete freedom - Subordinates are provided housing and essentials by the Administratum just like full Adepts. Subordinates may even be promoted to Ordinates if they can prove their intelligence and capabilities. 'Special Titles' There exists a number of special titles within the Administratum that are unrelated to authority but indicate particular skills in a field. *'General-Master' - An honorific bestowed upon Imperial Guard officers that oversee the supply & logistics of a sufficiently large amount of Imperial Guard forces (typically the forces of an entire Fortress World or those of a small crusade). This joint Imperial Guard & Administratum rank gives them authority over large swathes of Munitorum personnel along with their Supply Regiments, and once Subsector Departmento Munitorum Masters deliver materiel to the planet/battlezone, it is the duty of the General-Master to oversee its distribution to particular units & bases. *'Curator' - Honorific for the learned data handlers and archivists of the Estate Imperium. Curators tend to the vast libraries and archives and are known to hold vast amounts of historical information within their own minds. *'Scribe' - Another Estate Imperium honorific. Scribes are typically low-level Adepts that are devoted to recording information at an incredible speed. Administratum Scribes are typically assigned to official chambers such as Courts and Government Chambers where they record important events with both speed & accuracy. *'Doctor' - An honorific afforded to Estate Imperium Adepts that are devoted to researching and uncovering history through study and - if necessary - exploration without oversight. This honorific is also used by the Officio Medicae (and most planetary authorities) to denote those who are qualified to practice medicine to a high degree. *'Professor' - The highest honorific for Estate Imperium Adepts that actively research historical information. Professors are considered the most intelligence members of the Estate Imperium with both a large knowledge of history as well as excellent skills of deduction. *'Cipher' - An honorific possessed by certain Head Officio Menials & Subordinates devoted to exchanging secret information. Ciphers practise a form of self-hypnosis that allows them to scan a message by sight before reciting it to an authorised recipient in a trance-like state, all while having no internal memory of the message itself. *'Barrister' - Honorific possessed by Adepts of the Officio Lex that have been authorised by an Arbites Magistrate to represent prosecution or defence arguments in Imperial Court. Barristers are extremely knowledgable in the Lex Imperialis and can command enormous fees from other institutions for their services. *'Counsellor' - A lesser honorific for Adepts of the Officio Lex. Counsellors are able to offer advice on the Lex Imperialis and are often assistants to Barristers and Magistrates, but cannot represent anyone in Imperial Court themselves.